42

THE INDIAN SETTLEMENT, RED-RIVER COLONY.

felt grieved that, as it happened, they were the last to hear my voice among them from the pulpit; but that I could not have had a more suitable day, to appear for the first time, than that on which we hail the glad tidings of great joy, the birth of the Infant Saviour for the redemption of a lost and guilty world. In the afternoon the first part of the Service was read in English by Mr. Hunt; the remainder, from the Second Collect, in Cree by Mr. Smithurst. I then baptized the little grandson of the Chief, the son of his eldest Christian son; after which there was a short Indian sermon, a translation of one, on "the Image of God," in Jowett's Christian Visitor. This was read by the Schoolmaster. He prepares it over-night, and reads it off fluently. This is found here, as in New Zealand, to be much better than to have the words of the Clergyman translated by an interpreter, sentence by sentence. The singing in the afternoon was remarkably good: they seem to enjoy it themselves; and, having been well trained by Mr. Smithurst, with some additional instruction by Mr. Hunt, they can now sing, taking parts, extremely well. We had the usual Christmas Hymns-While shepherds,' High let us swell our tuneful notes,' Hark! the herald angels sing,' &c.—and, at the conclusion, the Evening Hymn. I could not restrain the expression of my pleasure after all was finished, and told them how much I had enjoyed the Services of the day, and how much I was delighted to find that they could join in such a way in the praises of our Heavenly Father.

6

Next morning, before I left Mr. Smithurst's house, the Chief called. I found it was to present a Calumet of Peace. It is a pretty one, with an ornamented handle. The mouthpiece is from the celebrated red-stone quarry mentioned by Catlin. It had been given to the Chief in a war with the Sioux, and he begged my acceptance of it. Immediately after, I took leave, with many very pleasing recollections of my first Christmas in this distant and remote land.

The history of this Mission is most instructive. It teaches us never to disregard the smallest opportunity of doing good. To do so is just the same as if a man should despise a seed because it is small, and say there is no use in sowing it. Yet, small as it is, what great things grow from a little seed! The noble oak, with its immense trunk, and huge branches stretching out in every direction, beneath which it is so pleasant to sit on a summer's day and find shelter from the heat, sprung from an acorn! He who first commenced the work among the poor Indians of Rupert's Land had learned not to despise the day of small things. He showed this when he took home with him two Red-Indian boys, whom their parents had entrusted to his care, that he might teach them about the true God and Jesus Christ. We give on the next page a picture of the Rev. John West, in his log house at the Red River, with these two Red boys before him, teaching them their letters. It required great pains, and greater patience; but Mr. West was a good man, and a great man, because he was willing to become as nothing for Christ, and because he contented himself with very small beginnings, in the hope that God would bless them to great

THE INDIAN SETTLEMENT, RED-RIVER COLONY.

43

results. He taught the boys a prayer. It was short and simple"Great Father! bless me, through Jesus Christ our Lord;" and in

the Letter in which he told the Society of this, he added, "May our gracious God hear their cry morning and evening, and raise them up as heralds of His salvation in this truly benighted and barbarous part of the world!"

How remarkably God has answered the prayers of this devoted Minister! One of these Indian boys is now the Native Catechist, Henry Budd, whom the Bishop hopes to have with him next winter to prepare for Ordination, and who already has done much good amongst his countrymen.

In another Letter Mr. West says, "Those boys, who have been with me since last year, can now converse pretty freely in English, are beginning to read, and can repeat the Lord's Prayer correctly. The other day I gave them a small portion of ground for a garden,

44

PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS.

and I never saw boys in Europe more delighted than they were in hoeing and planting it."

The little Red Indian boy working at his garden has grown up to be a Christian man, and his sphere of labour has changed. He is a labourer in the husbandry of God, watching over the plants which his Heavenly Father has planted. May many such Labourers be sent forth to break up the hard soil, and sow the good seed, until the dreary wastes of Rupert's Land become as the garden of the Lord!

wwwwww

PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS.

AFRICA is a very large continent. The greater portion of its interior is as yet unknown to us; and hitherto, when a map of Africa has been printed, the centre part has been left blank. Europeans have been curious on the subject. They have thought it strange, that, although Africa is nearer to them than either Asia or America, it should nevertheless be the least known. From our own country many brave men have been sent out, from time to time, to try and reach the centre. None of them have succeeded, and most of them have died from sickness and fatigue.

We have some Missionaries on the East Coast of Africa, and they have been enabled to travel some hundred miles from the coast, and to make some very remarkable discoveries.

The surface of the earth is divided into five zones, or belts. One is very hot, two are very cold, and two temperate. We live in one of the temperate zones. The hot or tropical zone lies to the south of us, and occupies the centre part of the earth's surface. The greater portion of Africa lies within this hot zone. Our Missionaries on the East Coast are near the centre of it. Yet here, where it was least expected, our Missionaries have discovered mountains covered with perpetual snow. Mr. Rebmann discovered one mountain of this kind in a journey which he made in the year 1848; and Dr. Krapf, in a long journey which he accomplished in November and December of last year, discovered another. Central Africa may therefore prove to be a hilly and mountainous country. Now we know that the higher we go the colder it gets. We find, from the East-African snow mountains, that even in the parts of the earth where the sun has most power there is a height where there is snow, and snow which never melts away all the year round. Thus the centre of Africa may be so high that it may be a temperate climate like our own. We also know that such climates suit man best, that they are the most populous, and that man there has most power of mind and body. What a field for Missionary effort may there not be in the heart of Africa waiting for the Gospel! numerous and interesting nations, who have never seen its light nor heard its joyful sound.

It is from love to souls that our Missionaries have made these

PERILS IN THE WILDERNESS.

45

journeys, to try what openings might exist for introducing the Gospel into the interior. They have undergone many fatigues and dangers. Wild beasts of various kinds-the lion, the elephant, the rhinoceros-abound in these lands. The latter is especially formidable to the traveller, as, if he is met in the jungle, it is almost impossible to get away from him. But their principal danger has been from selfish men. Mr. Rebmann, on his last journey, suffered much in this respect.

A great ruler in the interior, called Mamkinga, had promised Mr. Rebmann once before, that when he came again he would help him on his way to new countries beyond; and about a year ago Mr. Rebmann proceeded to visit him, in the hope that he would do as he had said. This was not, however, the case. It soon became plain that this King would not suffer him to go further, and that he would keep him there until he had robbed him, by beggary, of all the goods he had brought with him to pay the expenses of his journey. Day after day he sent, or came himself, for presents. Mr. Rebmann saw his goods lessening rapidly, and, with them, his hopes of getting on. This troubled him very much; so much so, that one day, when he was obliged to tear off, with his own hands, the pieces of cloth which the King asked for, he could no longer restrain himself, but burst into tears. When they saw him weeping, they said it was because he was losing his goods. But he said this was not so: it was because good people in Europe had given them to him that he might visit the nations of Africa so far as he could, and teach them the Gospel, and now Africans themselves were preventing him from doing so.

Moreover, the weather was wet and cold, his miserable hut generally full of smoke, his food very bad, and not enough even of that, and Mr. Rebmann at length became very ill. His bearers became discontented, and nothing remained but to return.

take the beaten road by which they had come, lest they might be ill-treated by the Chiefs when it was found they had no more presents, it was resolved to leave the beaten path, and go home through the wilderness. This, however, was no easy task. Some of the people who had hatchets went first to open a way through the thick jungle. Others climbed the highest trees, to find out the direction they ought to take, for they would not trust to Mr. Rebmann's compass. Sometimes, during the dark and rainy night, no fire could be lighted. They could neither warm themselves nor cook their food, and Mr. Rebmann's bedding and clothes were soaked with wet.

After having passed many small rivers, they reached one larger than the rest, and it caused much thought to know how they were to cross it. At length a tree was cut down and thrown across the river, the rocks catching it so as to prevent it being swept away. It came short of the other bank by about fifteen feet, and stakes were therefore fastened to the end of it, and to some large stones which were above the water. In crossing by this rude bridge, Mr. Rebmann lost his balance, and fell into the water. The danger was that he

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ENCOURAGING INSTANCE OF PAROCHIAL EFFORT

would be swept away, for the current was very strong, and the water so deep as to reach beneath his arms. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on us also, lest we should have sorrow upon sorrow. He was enabled to get hold of the stakes, and even then, such was the force of the stream, he could scarcely hold on while wading through to the other bank. One of his porters assisted in getting him out of the water, as represented in our Frontispiece. The next bridge of this kind Mr. Rebmann dragged himself over in a riding posture.

Mr. Rebmann says-" On praying to God amidst the thorns of the wilderness, my heart melted within me, and my eyes overflowed with tears, in remembrance of the experience which I had made on this journey, which showed me much more of the wickedness of these African Heathen, but also of my own heart."

It is indeed in times of trial that we learn most of ourselves, and most also of the goodness of Him who bears with us, sinful as we are, and continues to watch over and protect us. We are also on our journey-the journey through life; and the road is often sharp and thorny, and there are difficult and dangerous places-temptations which must be met, and sins into which we may fall, and so be swept away. What need, therefore, have we to place ourselves under the care of that merciful Father, who spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all! He will be near to help when we most need it. "He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters."

ENCOURAGING INSTANCE OF PAROCHIAL EFFORT IN THE CAUSE OF MISSIONS.

THE following sketch of the growth of Missionary work in a country parish of small capabilities is interesting and instructive. It shows what may be done where there is a willing mind, and remarkably verifies a passage in our Report for the present yearthat the funds of this Society are mainly dependent, under God, upon individual exertion, springing from a sense of personal responsibility.

A small agricultural village in a southern county, without one landowner resident within its bounds, has, since the year 1828, contributed 2401. 18s. 6d. to the funds of the Church Missionary Society. Of that sum, 1271. have been raised, since the year 1844, by annual instalments of, on an average, 241. From that date, Evening Meetings have been held in the National Schoolroom, once, and sometimes twice, every year. At those Meetings, friends from the neighbourhood, and Deputations from the Parent Society, have spoken. But before 1844-that is, for the first sixteen years of the existence of the Association-only three Meetings, the first in 1835, were held in the place, and no Public Meetings within six miles.

Yet during that period the Income from this little Branch steadily increased, from 5 to 10. 10s. per annum, amounting in all to 1131. 1s. 6d.